The editors of this new quarterly online journal of dark literature aren’t necessarily looking for traditional horror, although they don’t rule it out. They want to hear about what scares us today and every day. What do we fear when we’re wide awake? They’re looking for political nightmares and plebeian horrors. They want to be scared afresh, to feel the fear of the moment as it unfolds.

Coffin Bell will be published quarterly online, on the first of the month in January, April, July, and October. They accept submissions on a rolling basis, so submissions that miss the cutoff for one issue will be considered for the next. Their reading windows are as follows: for publication in the January edition, submit between October 1 and December 29; for publication in the April edition, submit between January 1 and March 29; for publication in the July edition, submit between April 1 and June 28; for publication in the October edition, submit between July 1 and September 28.

Poets may submit up to five poems. Authors of flash fiction may submit up to five pieces, 1,000 words or fewer. Authors of short stories may submit one story, 7,500 words or fewer. All submissions should include a cover letter and a third person bio. Coffin Bell aims to respond to all submissions within four weeks, and they often respond much sooner. Authors who haven’t heard back within four weeks are welcome to query.

Coffin Bell accepts submissions via email, but not online or by post. They accept simultaneous submissions, but ask that authors email immediately if their work is accepted elsewhere. They do not accept previously published work. Although Coffin Bell does not currently pay their contributors, they hope to do so in the future.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Coffin Bell, please visit their website at https://coffinbell.com/submit/.